Duck confit, trout… A festive menu so as not to break the bank and without compromising on the quality of the products

From purchases made in advance or an absence of champagne at the table, these customers of the Orleix hypermarket in the Hautes-Pyrénées present their tips for a hearty but less expensive Christmas meal.

How to treat yourself and please yourself without spending too much on Christmas dinner? Our Christmas basket produced by the NielsenIQ firm for franceinfo and the local radio network ICI is down slightly this year: -1%. The price of foie gras, salmon and frozen logs is falling sharply.

These three emblematic Christmas products are no longer necessarily on the New Year’s Eve table. Customers at the Orleix hypermarket near Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, opt for alternative menus to the great Christmas classics so as not to skyrocket the bill too much.

David spends long minutes in front of the frozen foods hesitating between different brands of duchess potatoes to accompany his New Year’s Eve. “Duck confit, green beans, tapenade and small glasses of avocado. Obviously, the price goes up quickly. We went with a duck breast, but it’s expensive. We are new, and a duck breast per person, that’s 90 euros just for the meat, it’s too much. The confit is cheaper and very good”, explains the thirty-year-old.

In fact, a dozen canned confit legs cost 30 euros, three times cheaper than duck breast. The choice is quickly made. And the drinks? David entrusted the mission to his parents, they are the ones who pay.

In the alcohol section of the hypermarket, you don’t come across many champagne lovers. “I don’t like champagne, it hurts my head. Or at least a little sparkling.” At 5 euros per bottle, Stéphanie saves around fifteen euros compared to champagne.

We’re not going to eat turkey, it’s too much, there’s always some left over.

Stéphanie, customer of the Orleix supermarket

at franceinfo

For six people on New Year’s Eve, she seeks to limit her bill and not waste. It is therefore limited to small toasts. “We had smoked trout, tarama, it’s traditional”she adds.

“In the smoked fish section, trout is 10 euros per kilo less than salmon. 42 euros for trout, 52 for salmon. So a lot of people take it. Especially since it comes from the Pyrenees, not far from here” specifies a supermarket employee. “We’re having trout for toast. And shrimp, but we’ll buy these at the last minute”to keep them fresh, adds another customer.

A little further in the store, others have anticipated their shopping for what can be preserved. “The foie gras, I bought it well in advance, a good month agosays Simone, 87 years old. I bought the 300 gram pot for 20 euros. So today, I looked, it’s 33 euros! And then it’s my daughter-in-law who orders everything and pays for everything.”smiles the octogenarian. The trick? Fish and pork purchased directly from the producer to obtain prices.

But there is one product that the grandmother turned a blind eye to. “I have grandchildren, I’m not telling you all the chocolates I bought. I’m going to get yelled at”slips Simone mischievously. It’s hard to resist the famous box of cocoa, even if its price has soared this year, with an increase of 20% on average.